Goshen residents could soon be paying a monthly fee for trash pickup and other services.
A proposed environmental service fee would start out at seven dollars a month next year, go up to $14.30 in 2028 and then to $22.40 in 2029. The fee would cover trash and recycling pickup, brush and yard waste collection, and support of the environmental services center.
Right now, those are covered by residents’ property taxes, but Mayor Gina Leichty says Indiana’s recent property and income tax reform will put a strain on the city’s finances. “The practical reality is if we don’t provide a consistent funding mechanism for things like road repairs, our roads are only going to get worse. Our insurance is only going to go up,” Leichty told city council members Friday.
Consultants Baker Tilly project that Goshen’s general fund would run out of money in 2034, if no changes are made. Senior Manager Amber Nielsen said communities across the state are looking to shift the cost burden from taxes to fees. “Because that is really where you as a city kind of have that control: what fees will we charge for park, for cemetery, et cetera, and now we’re talking about a potential environmental services fee,” Nielsen told council members.
But the proposal got a mixed reaction when it was presented to the city council Friday. Some said they’d like to see a rate based on usage, rather than a flat fee with no option to opt out. Others discussed offering discounts based on income or extending the phase-in period beyond three years.
Mayor Leichty plans to introduce a fee ordinance later this month for the council’s consideration.
